Rotten
by maravelous
Summary: Oneshot; "That something can be missed is what makes it loved."  — ShikaTema


**Rotten**  
>By Mara<p>

"Well."

Ah. Shikamaru detested that word. He stared across the table at Temari with a single eyebrow raised. She had a sly smile on her face, her eyes crinkled in sweet innocence that Shikamaru knew was only covering up malicious intent. In the background the busy scenery of the fancy, crimson restaurant did little to distract him from her. The chandelier cast golden orbs in her hair, down and curled prettily, and her eyes danced with the light.

'Well.' What a typical conversation-starter. It didn't even say anything. It was just a word.

But he replied nonetheless. Might as well. There wasn't anything else to do. "Well," he repeated glumly. He watched her lips turn upwards even further, and he frowned at her. "Is this is the part when you tell me why I'm here?"

Temari's expression did not move an inch, if only for her eyes darting here and there every so often as she thought. Finally they looked into Shikamaru's again as she said smoothly, "It's been a long time since I came to Konoha, I figured you'd be looking forward to treating me."

Shikamaru watched her carefully. Years ago he would have flinched when faced with those dangerous teal eyes, but now he didn't turn away. "Can I get this straight?" he asked. Temari blinked, and he crossed one of his legs over his knee. "I just want to figure out what's going on here."

Her smile was slowly fading, but she kept her eyes on him. "What do you _think's_ going on here?" she asked.

He drummed his fingers on his knee, staring at her in silence for a few seconds, then he heaved a sigh. "I think…I _think_ that I confessed my love to you in August, but you just walked away without responding, then disappeared and ignored me for about four months, and now you're…_randomly_ visiting me for no business whatsoever and you…want me to buy you dinner…"

Shikamaru finished his sentence with a casual nod in her direction. His gaze never left her, he saw everything; the way she chewed her bottom lip when he said "love" and the way her blue eyes flashed when he said "business".

She had two fingers curled delicately beneath her chin, and she tapped them now on her lips almost uncomfortably. But she didn't fidget and she didn't turn away from him. Ever fearless, as she had always been. "I know why I asked you to do this," she said slowly, choosing her words very carefully. "I didn't just randomly pop in, there's a reason I chased you down."

Shikamaru tilted his head to the side slightly. "You say that as if I was hiding from you."

Temari smirked. "You say that as if you weren't."

Shikamaru almost smiled. His eyebrows raised as he contemplated her words. She truly was a force to be reckoned with, he'd almost forgotten the sharp retorts and wit she possessed. So he nodded once, shrugging. "I suppose subconsciously I was…" He narrowed his eyes and said coolly, "Can you blame me?"

As expected she turned away, inhaling deeply. But she didn't say a word to that, her lips pressed together tightly. So Shikamaru felt it safe to continue. "You still haven't answered my question. Why am I here? Did you just want to rub this in my face?"

"Oh stop being an idiot," Temari snapped, twisting around to glare at him. Shikamaru stared back at her stoically and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was calmer. "I just wanted to ask you some questions."

"So why don't you get over with it?"

"Because we haven't ordered yet." Shikamaru glowered as she turned brightly to the waitress that had returned to their table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yes," Temari smiled sweetly at the waitress, handing her the menu back gracefully as she said, "I'll have the Greek salad."

"Alright. And for you sir?"

Shikamaru twisted his lips to the side, contemplating Temari as he ordered some rice and handed the menu back to the waitress. He was very distracted by her. She seemed to be interested in her glass of water, flicking her fingernail against the crystal and smiling slightly at the ringing noise it made.

"Will that be all?"

Temari looked up. "Actually, could I get a glass of wine?"

The waitress nodded kindly. "Coming right up."

Shikamaru gave Temari a look as the waitress walked away, and Temari frowned. "What? I'm not allowed to have a drink?"

Shikamaru glowered at her. "Are you taking this seriously?"

"What's wrong with a drink?"

He pursed his lips, eyes drifting over Temari trying to analyze the situation. Finally he snorted under his breath and switched his legs over each other. "Fine. Then when she comes back, I'm asking for sake."

Temari let out a single, breathy laugh. "Are you six years old?"

"Is that one of the questions?"

Temari lost her grin for a second before laughing again and shaking her head slowly. "Originally, no, but I'm beginning to think it's top priority now."

"I'm six-foot and have a five o'clock shadow."

"You took that question far too seriously."

"Am I to believe that I shouldn't take the others seriously as well?"

"You _are_ six years old." Temari had by now completely lost her smile to replace with a look of minor disgust. "Look at you. Totally immature."

"So that's why."

Temari's face was wiped clean of all emotion. Shikamaru himself was shocked too; he hadn't expected the words to escape his mouth. He didn't think he'd be this blunt about finally asking it, after he'd spent months trying to figure it out.

But he wasn't going to take it back now.

Temari had a stern look in her eyes. However, feigning confusion, maybe in her own hope, she said darkly, "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru ran a hand over his mouth once, agitated. "That's why you didn't respond. You think I'm immature."

Temari was silent. She gazed back at Shikamaru. He watched her lips press together harshly, her fingers drumming a frustrated rhythm on the table top.

"Here's your wine."

Temari immediately softened as the waitress came and set the beverage in front of her. "Thank you very much." She smirked. "He changed his mind, he'd like a glass of sake if that's alright."

Shikamaru turned away from Temari to nod at the waitress, confirming his order. Might as well.

As the waitress hurried away he turned back to Temari. "So?"

"So what?"

"Don't play stupid," Shikamaru said shortly. Temari seemed insulted that he'd ordered her so snappishly and opened her mouth to retort, but he wouldn't let her get a word in: "Temari, don't you think I deserve to know?"

Temari closed her mouth quickly. Her chest rose with a deep inhale, and then she let the breath out in a long, sigh. "…Yes…"

"Then tell me."

Temari's eyes were closed. She seemed deeply troubled. But Shikamaru didn't care. He was angry enough at her, he didn't need her to get him feeling all guilty.

He was so close to finally hearing her say it.

"—Hi, Shikamaru!"

He and Temari both blinked, surprised, when his name was spoke from over his shoulder in a breathy, high-pitched voice. He twisted around and recognized the speaker. "Shiho?"

She stood leaning over with a tiny smile on her face. She was dressed in a very modest dress, quite polite in comparison to Temari's deep collar and short skirt. She blushed a bit at the look he gave her and straightened up a bit. "How are you?"

"Um…" Shikamaru glanced at Temari; she had a large, drifting smile on her face, her eyes concentrated on Shiho. He turned back to his colleague. "Good, um…What are you doing here, if I may ask…?"

Shiho adjusted her large, thick glasses. "Oh, well my mother was having a rough time, so I decided to take her out to dinner somewhere nice…I saw you over at the table and thought I'd come over and say hello…" As she talked she kept staring at Temari, attempting not to look at her too long but obviously extremely distracted by her. "Um…What about you…?" She asked, eyeing the blonde woman.

Shikamaru swallowed, and glanced at Temari. She had a devious grin on her face, and she was giving him an expectant look, as if to say, "Yes, Shikamaru, what _are_ we doing here?"

He coughed and scratched his cheek. "Uh, business." He caught out of the corner of his eye Temari suppressing a laugh as he muttered, "Just a few last-minute details we need to clear up, thought we'd make a good impression on a few…clients." That was most probably the worst lie he'd ever come up with. Temari was hiding her giggles behind her glass of wine, probably thinking along the same lines as well. But Shiho seemed quite convinced, in fact she seemed pleased with the information. When she looked at Temari again she seemed much more endearing. "Oh! Well, it's lovely to see you Temari-san. I admire your work for your country."

Temari swallowed the wine quickly, beaming up at Shiho; she seemed to be enjoying this, much to Shikamaru's displeasure. "Oh, thank you."

Shiho nodded sweetly down at Temari. And then, she proceeded to do what she always did:

Stare at Shikamaru.

He felt himself become more and more uncomfortable under her gaze. She didn't look away from him. He doubted she was even blinking behind those enormous lenses. He coughed and turned away from her, staring down at the table, eyebrows raised and lips puckered. He felt like he was under a spotlight. It was enough trying to deal with her staring at him every day at work, but now in front of Temari? This was undoubtedly the most humiliating evening of his life.

Fortunately the staring did not have to last too long because Temari decided to speak, and for the first time that night Shikamaru was grateful that she was opening her mouth. "So Shiho." Shiho's gaze quickly snapped to Temari, alert. Temari was smirking; Shikamaru didn't like the look of it. It just _screamed_evil plot. "What are you doing after your dinner is over?"

"Oh, well I was just going to take my friend home and then…Well I guess I'll head home myself…I need to get to sleep soon."

"I see. Early start, huh? Busy day tomorrow?"

"I just have a few errands in the morning, but actually I'm very free tomorrow."

"Oh?" Temari's eyes made contact with Shikamaru's, and he immediately knew just from the demonic gleam in them exactly what she was thinking.

No. She wasn't going _there_, was she?

Too late to stop her, Temari said calmly, "Shikamaru, aren't you free tomorrow as well?"

Shikamaru resisted the urge to gape at Temari. This couldn't be happening. Was he asleep? This had to be some terrible, terrible dream.

But no. This was real. He was here, and Temari was smiling that smile, and Shiho was staring away at Shikamaru like she'd just found the opportunity of a lifetime.

"Oh…You _are_, Shikamaru…?" Shiho asked shyly, her voice suddenly much more squeaky than usual.

Shikamaru managed to wrench his astonished, contorted face up to her and swallowed, trying his best to talk through his horror. But as usual, Temari had better things on her mind.

"Oh, yes, he was just telling me this." Shikamaru glared at Temari, who was grinning away with her chin resting on her hands. "He has all day completely clear tomorrow, nothing at all to do."

Oh, he hated her for this. She had screwed him over quite often enough in the past, but this was by far the worst.

"Oh, um…Well that's interesting," Shiho said slowly. She sounded giddy.

"Yeah! What a coincidence. Huh, well you two don't want to be bored all day tomorrow, do you?"

Shiho laughed nervously, gazing at Shikamaru dreamily. "I…I don't think so…" Shikamaru was mortified. He had to stop Temari. He couldn't let her do this.

He slowly reached forwards to the middle of the table towards the napkin holder and discreetly began to fiddle with it…

"Oh yeah, well you know what you should do—Ah!" Temari and Shiho gasped in surprise as Shikamaru pushed the napkin holder into Temari's glass of wine, and managed to cause it to tip over the edge of the table, spilling wine all over the floor, and Shiho's dress.

Shiho cried out, shocked, and Temari turned to face Shikamaru. Her mouth had dropped open, she was completely aghast, and Shikamaru had _never _felt so much satisfaction.

"Oh, no, what happened here?" All three turned to the waitress who stopped with a hand to her mouth in front of them, holding a tray containing Shikamaru's glass of sake.

Shikamaru hunched his shoulders and raised a hand coolly, staring back at Temari all the while as he said with a casual chuckle, "Oh, my bad. I'm really, really sorry Shiho, my hand slipped." Shiho stared at him, laughing slowly and nervously under her breath as she rung out her dress to the best of her abilities. "It's…alright…"

The waitress faked a giggle, although Shikamaru could hear the annoyance. "Oh, it happens to the best of us. Here, let me mop up this spill, and I'll be right back…Oh, and ma'am, please let me help you with your dress…"

Shikamaru thanked the waitress, accepted his sake, and bid goodbye to a disgruntled and embarrassed Shiho, waving the two ladies away before facing Temari smugly. He ignored the terrifying glare on her face. He felt too proud of himself to fear her just now. He was successful. He had bought his way out of quite a ride.

Temari was not at all happy, on the other hand. He saw the way her eyebrow twitched as she slowly put her elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her hand. She didn't even look at him; apparently she was too angry to do so. Well. Now she knew how he felt.

He decided not to say a word and waited patiently, watching her. Finally she looked up and said stiffly, "And _what_ were you thinking exactly?" Shikamaru blinked innocently back at her and she scoffed. "Come on. I'm not blind. That was not an accident, you did that on purpose. Why?"

"Why?" Shikamaru repeated, letting himself laugh with bewilderment. "You were trying to set me up with her!"

"So you spill a glass?" Temari slapped her hand as gently as she could on the table, glowering at him.

"I don't like her," Shikamaru insisted, grumbling under his breath. "She's smart, she's a good worker, and she's kind of cute, but…It's just she's…" Temari eyed him cautiously, and he shook his head. "I'm not attracted to her. At all."

"So you _spill a glass_?" Temari repeated loudly.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It would have been troublesome to tell her I don't want to date her."

"And spilling a glass _wouldn't_ have been?"

"It was better than breaking the poor thing's heart!" Shikamaru cried, trying to get Temari to see. She stared at him, eyes darting between his, then heaved a sigh and nodded slowly. Shikamaru relaxed, noticing the understanding in her features. He frowned. "Besides. What about _you_? Why the hell were you trying to set me up with my co-worker?"

She giggled a bit in spite of herself. "It was funny."

He groaned into his palm, running it over his face. "You can't be serious."

"Oh come on, Crybaby, she's really into you!"

"_I'm_ not into _her_!"

"Okay, alright, I can see that." She paused, then said with a laugh, "Okay, I'm sorry. It didn't work anyways, and I won't try again. Okay? Are you happy now?"

He glowered and didn't answer, but took his hand away from his face and grabbed his sake. "That wasn't funny."

"Oh it was hilarious," Temari disagreed, still seeming to be in the bliss of the experience. "What didn't you like about her anyways?"

Shikamaru took a sip of the alcohol and sighed at the pleasant, warm feeling it sent down his throat. "She's just too…conservative."

Temari snickered softly. "_You_ don't like conservative?"

"Too boring," Shikamaru replied with a shrug, taking one more sip of his beverage. After swallowing it he tilted his head to the side. "What did you expect? Me to be some religious, stick-up-the-ass freak?"

"Sort of," Temari admitted thoughtfully. She paused. "What, you're _not_?"

"Not at all." Shikamaru tapped the glass of his sake distractedly. "I don't even believe in god, or anything for that matter."

"Oh…"

"What about you?" Shikamaru didn't know why he asked that. But he sipped his sake as he waited for her answer, suddenly eager to hear it.

Temari shrugged daintily; Shikamaru watched the way her top moved gracefully with her thin shoulders. "In Suna we don't believe in deities, per say…More or less we believe in…Well, the earth." Shikamaru watched as a strange, glassy daze came over her eyes. "It's said that everything in this world, even the ground we walk on, every grain of sand…has a life of its own…"

Shikamaru felt his lips curl; he was smiling. It was that rare, beautiful feeling when he smiled…

Temari seemed distracted by her thoughts, her gaze drifting somewhere else. "When I was a child, I went through a phase where I was afraid to walk, because I thought every time I put a foot down I'd be killing a life." She laughed a bit; the sound was musical. "But then I realized...The fact that something _can_ die is what gives it life. The fact that something can be hurt is what makes it safe. That something can be tragic is what makes it blissful. That something can be missed is what makes it loved."

Shikamaru nodded slowly, and felt his chest tighten as their eyes connected yet again; and this time, it wasn't sarcastic, or angry. It was just like it was back all those months ago when they'd sit beneath the moon after a long day translating codes together, and talk about the stars. They would every so often just pause, and not say a word, and look at each other, just like this…

Maybe that's when he realized…

"What about you?" Her lips moved fluidly, forming each word deeply and sweetly. "You don't believe in deities or magic, so what do you believe in?"

Shikamaru felt his shoulders shake with a tiny, gentle laugh. "People."

Temari's eyes, always hard and teal and strong, softened. Her face slowly formed a gentle, beautiful smile that was even brighter than the chandelier over her head.

"And here's your food, finally."

Shikamaru and Temari both faced the waitress who set down their food and another glass of wine for Temari on the table in front of them accordingly. "I'm very sorry for all the trouble."

"No trouble," Temari said, and she sounded genuine. The waitress nodded politely and walked away, leaving them to eat.

Shikamaru watched Temari as she took a tiny, delicate bite of her salad and chewed. "We have our food now."

"Oh thank you for your perception Crybaby, but I can see that for myself." She frowned down at the salad, swallowing and making a face. "This salad is not very good."

"When are you going to stop calling me Crybaby?"

"When are you going to stop crying?"

"Is that one of the questions?"

Temari blinked in surprise, then stared down at her fork. "Oh…I completely forgot about the questions. I was supposed to start them when the food came…" she said slowly, her voice dreamlike.

Shikamaru sighed. "Is it wrong that _I'm_ the one that wants to hear the questions when _you're_ the one that came all the way over here just to ask them?"

Temari stared thinly at Shikamaru. "_I'm_ supposed to be asking the questions," she said slowly.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but leaned back in his chair and gestured at her. "Alright then, get on with it."

"This salad is _really_ terrible." Shikamaru closed his eyes, trying to keep his patience, as Temari picked churlishly at the meal beneath her. She went on: "I think the lettuce is rotten. What a disappointment."

"That doesn't matter."

"Oh, well, you're paying anyways." Shikamaru stared at her without expression as she looked up to snicker cruelly in his direction. "Oh, don't give me that look." She leaned forward, her elbows on the table and her hands folded. She rested her chin on the backs of her hands and smirked out at him. "Shikamaru?"

"What?" he replied in a monotone.

"What do men find attractive about me?"

Shikamaru could hardly believe his ears. He lost the stony expression for one of immense confusion, lips parted and eyebrows knit together. "Um…Huh?" was all he could utter.

She didn't move an inch, apart from her red lips moving smoothly. "I _always_ get men telling me they've fallen for me," she said in a voice tilted with amusement. "So many of them. Going on about how they feel about me, things like that. But they never tell me why."

Shikamaru gazed, almost appalled, as she smiled out at him, eyes hooded and tilted with interest. "So tell me." Shikamaru gulped. "Why do you love me, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru felt himself choke out a reply: "Is that…one of the questions…?"

Temari nodded shortly, seeming pleased at his shocked face. "Yeah. You know, why do you think I'm attractive? What about me is sexy? That sort of thing." She noticed Shikamaru seemed to choke a bit when she said sexy and smirked. "Oh come on. You _do_ want to have sex with me, right?" Shikamaru's mouth dropped open and she pouted, adding, "Don't lie, admit you do."

Shikamaru felt himself shudder with a small, bewildered laugh, almost unable to believe this; _almost_. He knew he should have expected this, it was Temari…

So he closed his eyes and exhaled, shaking his head slowly. Flinging a hand in the air in mock surrender to try and make it less of a blow he admitted, voice breathy and slightly amused, "Yes."

Temari's smirk turned to a tiny, devilish grin for a fleeting second before she was serious again. "So? What makes me sexy?" Shikamaru put a hand to his forehead, exasperated, and glanced around them, feeling fortunate that they were in an isolated table.

"Is it my lips?" He turned back to watch uncomfortably as she pointed a hand to her lips, sitting up and staring at him with wide eyes. "I know I have big lips, and big lips are supposed to be sexy." When Shikamaru didn't respond she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come on, work with me here. I've been dying to know. What, is it these?" Shikamaru stiffened, freezing as she did the strangest of all things and grabbed her breasts. "I know they're not as big as that Hyuuga girl's, but they _are_ very impressive."

Shikamaru could not find his voice, he was too busy attempting to pry his eyes away from the delicious view of her cleavage. But her hands continued their journey, much to his shock and awe; "Is it my hips?" She glanced down her body, then up to him. "They're big, that's supposed to be a good turn-on and…Oh!"

Shikamaru twitched in surprise when she gasped and raised a leg. His lips parted and his face turned bright red, watching unable to do a thing as she turned to the side in her chair and lifted one of her legs just slightly up, just enough for her silky skirt to fall past the knee and give him a spectacular display of her perfectly toned thigh. "It's my legs, isn't it?" Temari cried, grinning successfully. She observed Shikamaru's frozen and blubbering expression and smirked. "It is! I knew it."

Shikamaru finally snapped out of it and reached forward, forcing back the shudders that rolled down his back when he felt the warmth of her smooth, bare skin under his hand, to shove Temari's leg furiously back down beneath the table. "Put that…_thing _away, woman!" He gaped at her as she smiled back at him. "You want the whole world to look up your skirt?"

She was unfazed by his disapproval, grinning away. "But that's it, isn't it? It's the legs."

Shikamaru heaved a sigh and managed to mumble through his thick lips, "Yes, those are…_nice_…" Temari beamed, seeming very proud of herself, then noticed the way he trailed off.

"There's a 'but' coming," she said expectantly.

He nodded, agreeing. "_But_…" he said slowly, "…It's more that…" He sighed. Might as well give in. There was nothing else to do, anyways. "You're confident," he admitted with a shrug. "Men like confidence. Men find that attractive."

"Oh…" Temari frowned. Shikamaru glared at her as she smiled to herself and took another bite of her salad. "Well?"

She swallowed the salad and puckered her lips. "Tshis lettuce is definitely rotten."

"Temari."

"Why would they give me _rotten_ lettuce? Shikamaru, try some of your rice, see if it's okay."

"Temari, _stop hiding from this_."

"_Then tell me what you want from me, Shikamaru_!"

Shikamaru blinked in surprise, leaning back as she yelled at him, slamming the fork down on the table. He spotted from the corner of his eye other couples at other tables turn and crane over their booths to stare at them, but he didn't mind. He couldn't look away from her. Her mask had broken. Her eyes were wild and furious, her fingers were shaking. She'd lost her cool.

Finally.

"Just…tell me what you want…" she whispered. Her voice was pleading, her face was contorted with grief and fury. "I don't understand. Please, I just…I'm so _tired_, Shikamaru." She folded her hands, shivering violently, on the table, attempting to calm herself, but Shikamaru knew she couldn't. He couldn't take his eyes away from those hands, trembling too much for him to bear. He quickly pressed his on top of hers, wanting them to stop.

"I _can't_ hide," Temari whispered. Shikamaru noticed the tone of her voice, as if she had practiced these lines a thousand times. Her eyes gleamed with malice and loathing. "I'm wrecked with guilt over you, I'm swamped with work, I can't hide from my own thoughts, I can't stop _dreaming_ about you, I've had a headache for the past three days, I don't like our waitress, I _really_ don't like Shiho, this lettuce is _rotten_…!"

She cut herself off by snatching her hands out from under Shikamaru's with an air as if she was insulted by his touch. Shikamaru couldn't find the words to respond to her, he could only watch her grinding her teeth as she said to him desperately, "I'm so _tired_! I can't sleep at night without wondering where you are, what you're doing, where you're going, if you're even _alive_, always _knowing _that if you die the news will come to me three days _after_—" She stopped short again and hid her face in one of her hands.

Shikamaru's heart hammered in his chest. He felt his body growing weaker by the second. He didn't know what she was trying to say. But it was affecting him, every word, like a drop of poison or a knife to his gut. "Temari…why did you hide…?" he asked slowly. His voice was hampered with emotion but he forced himself to choke out every word. "It's not like you…That's _my_ thing, _I'm_ the Crybaby, _I'm_ the coward."

"Not anymore," Temari whispered through her fingers. She slowly pulled her hand away from her face, eyes hooded and face relaxing. "You were a little idiot, and now look at you, you're…You're amazing…"

Shikamaru shook his head, scoffing and calming the pounding of his pulse. "Then _why_, if you think I'm so _amazing_, did you not respond to me?" He felt a spark of frustration and ground out angrily, "I told you, Temari, I told you to your _face_ that I was giving you _all_ of me, my pride and my standings and my _heart_, to tell you how I feel for you, and you _walked away _without a word! I _tried_, I _tried_ to contact you in every way, I almost traveled the three days' journey to Suna just to chase after _you_!"

"Don't chase me," Temari said quietly. She eyed him darkly. "You know you won't find me."

And Shikamaru exploded.

"Then _why_? Tell me _now, why_?" he shouted.

He didn't care that by now the entire restaurant could hear him. He didn't care that his voice echoed off the chandelier which shook and threw shadows over Temari's face. He didn't care if the whole world could hear him.

"I have been waiting for_ months_ to hear you tell me and now you're making me go through all this _bullshit_ on top of everything else, _I can't take it Temari_!" He slammed a hand down on the table furiously, making Temari twitch in surprise. "You think I _want_ you to stay up all night thinking of me? You think I _want_ you to pity me? I don't! But you know what, I'm going to give that up, I'm going to _let_ you, just like I let you take my pride and my heart and everything else because _I love you_! And I don't _care _if _you_ don't love _me. _I don't care if you hate me, I don't care if you feel guilty because of me, and I sure as hell don't give a _damn _if your _lettuce_ is _rotten_!

"Don't you dare." Her voice was deadly and soft, and Shikamaru watched as she suddenly rose from her chair. She stood with grace, but grace that sent terrifying shivers down the back of his neck, a grace almost black with quiet fury. "Don't you _dare_, Shikamaru, try to insinuate for one second that I don't love you."

And he was defeated.

Temari gave him one last horrific sneer before turning, blonde hair bouncing, to walk away. Silence rang through the restaurant as she walked out, leaving Shikamaru sitting at the table, alone, and completely astonished.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, his adrenaline kicked in.

He pounded his hands on the table, jumping wildly to his feet and almost bonking his head on the chandelier. He stared down at the salad, at the rotten lettuce that was slowly turning brown on the edges. His eyes were huge, his face was pale, his mind was a whirling chaos.

"_That something can be missed is what makes it loved."_

He slapped as many coins as were in his pocket down on the table, not caring how much he was putting there, and ran. He flew through the restaurant, ignoring the onlookers who having witnessed the scene were whispering and pointing in his direction, and slammed through the delicate doors, much to the dismay of the hostess.

He saw her immediately. She was walking slowly down the empty dirt road a ways away, looking so lonely outlined by the glow of the moon. His feet pounded into the dirt as he sprinted after her.

She turned, hearing his footsteps, and seemed very surprised as she saw him rushing over. He slowed, panting as he came to a stumbling halt in front of her, and leaned over slightly to catch his breath. She was gazing up at him, the scene registering in her eyes, and, still trying to breathe, he gasped out the words: "Do you love me?"

Her lips parted, eyes swimming. He stared back at her, determined. More determined than he'd ever been in his life. The stars twinkled above, lighting their faces just enough for both to see each other in the dim, violet glow.

"I've loved you since you raised your hand to kill me," she said softly, "and gave up."

Shikamaru's heart nearly stopped. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to smile. But he was so shocked, he could hardly move. Since then. For six years, she'd been in love with him. Since then. Six years.

"Six…years…" Shikamaru said slowly. He could hardly see through the raw bliss rolling around in his head. Temari seemed very emotional, her chest heaving, her fingers trembling again. Shikamaru grabbed her hands again, stopping the shivers. "You went six years without telling me," he said softly. "You went six years thinking I didn't love you."

"I want another salad," she suddenly demanded, breathless. "I want better lettuce."

"Stop talking," Shikamaru whispered, shaking his head and feeling himself smiling. "Just shut up."

"The lettuce was rotten," Temari insisted, staring at him wildly through her heavy breaths. She didn't move when Shikamaru's hands gently grasped her shoulders. "I want a better salad, buy me one."

"No." He felt like he was in a dream. She stood there and allowed him to run his hands through her hair, over her face, along her jaw and her nose and her lips, tracing her, memorizing her. He had to know she was real. He had to know he had her. Right here, right now. "Stop talking. Stop hiding from this."

"…I-It was rotten."

"Stop." He leaned down and pressed his face against hers. He felt her let out a shuddering gasp but she didn't move an inch. He closed his eyes tight, feeling her warm breath against his lips, the bridge of his nose laying against the side of hers, the long, thick lashes of her eyes brushing against his cheekbones, fluttering as she reached up to press a hand into the back of his head. She pulled his face closer, her fingers curling in his hand and her other hand grasping the collar of his shirt and yanking his chest against hers.

"Talk to me," she gasped, her voice shuddering. He felt a single tear slip down her cheek, and then down his, rolling down their faces together and dripping off their chins as she whispered, "Keep talking to me."

So he repeated again, "Stop," whispering the word against her jaw. "Stop hiding. Stop crying. That's my job. Let me do that instead. Just keep on looking for me. No matter how far away I am from you, you should love chasing after me. Because you know you'll always find me."

He let her kiss his face all over, his nose, his forehead, his cheeks and lips and jaw, the trail where her tear had dropped off his chin, while they stood on the side of the road holding each other like they'd never let go, and he murmured blissfully, "Come and find me.

I'll wait for you."

**The End**

For ShikaTema Month  
><em>August 5; The Thrill of the Chase<em>


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